REDLANDS – Juana Toma received the keys to her own minivan Friday thanks to her 10-year-old daughter.

Julia Toma, 10, wrote an essay called “Why We Need a Car” after a former teacher told her about a contest held by a Yucaipa auto service business.

Her essay was chosen from about 100 entries, Exclusive Auto’s Mike Proud said, and the Tomas received a 1996 Mazda MPV at the Best Buddies Car Show on Friday morning at Tri-City Center.

“I knew we needed a car and we had to walk a lot,” said Julia, a fifth-grader at Bryn Mawr Elementary School. Her third-grade teacher, Nadine Evens, told her about Proud’s contest after hearing about it at her church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Yucaipa.

When she found out they had won, she was “skipping all over Mrs. Evens’ classroom.”

Juana, who works part-time for A.C.T.S. in Loma Linda, said she will use the van to help others.

“I told Mike – he collects food for drives – I told him, `You can use my car,’ ” Juana said. “And I have neighbors in need right now.”

The family has had a tough few years.

Toma and her husband divorced, the family lost their home and their car was repossessed, Proud said.

“Our lives have changed drastically since our car was repossessed,” Julia wrote in her essay.

Her mother “spends more money weekly for the bus than she used to buying gas for a car for a week.”

If they missed the bus, they walked. Once, they missed the last bus at Krikorian theaters in Redlands and walked back to their residence near Mountain View.

“Since then, my mom and I are afraid to go to far places,” she wrote.

She had to stop going to after-school programs at the Boys & Girls Club at Bryn Mawr, and it was hard to do much on the weekends.

“With this experience, I know that God wants us to learn to be grateful, patient, and caring for others,” she wrote.

When Evens heard about the contest – a few days before the deadline – she thought of Julia.

“I gave her the blurb from the church bulletin and said `Young lady, you have two days to do this,’ and she was all on her own.”

No one’s essay came close to Julia’s, Proud said.

He bought the van, in “immaculate” condition, from a man in West Covina. Businesses donated vehicle services and supplies, and the salon where Proud gets his hair cut gave a $100 certificate.

“Every time I get an idea I feel I should act on it,” said Proud, who said it was the first time he organized a contest for a car.

He and others got the word out and accepted essays for about three weeks. He also went to Petco and bought Julia a hamster after learning hers died.

“I tried to give her most of her life back,” he said.

Juana found out she was receiving the van Thursday at work.

“I was in tears, I was so happy,” she said. “Everyone at work (said) `What happened?’ I said, `We got the car.’ ”

She and Evens said the van is an answer to prayer.

“I got my job in March, I got my apartment in April, and now I got a car,” she said.

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